'Ex' Marks the Spot as Eastside wins the 100th Game in Storied Rivalry

Cuevas scores four touchdowns to give Ghosts come from behind victory

 

November 29, 2024

 

PATERSON, N.J. – The 100th installment of the Thanksgiving Day Classic may just be one of those games that gets recanted for the next 100 years.

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A steady rain did not deter the athletes representing Eastside, and Kennedy high schools from putting on a show for those that braved the inclement weather. This century long series was a tale of two halves. The first half saw a dominant Kennedy team chalk up a 14-0 lead. This deficit might have been enough to send the Eastside Ghosts into a cave. Well, the Ghosts did go to a "cave." You see, the Spanish word for cave is "cuevas," and Eastside turned to senior Exavier Cuevas to mount a comeback.

 

With the Ghosts down 20-0, thanks to two touchdowns by Knights senior Jayden Jones, it was time for Eastside's 'Ex' factor to come out of his proverbial cave. With the clock at 5:09 in the third quarter, Cuevas scored his first of four touchdowns to narrow Kennedy's lead to 20-6.

 

The fourth quarter should have been called the Fourth Cuevas. With 5:42 on the clock in the fourth quarter, the Knights punt attempt was blocked, and the Ghosts recovered the ball on the Kennedy two-yard line. Cuevas, having just scored Eastside's last touchdown, quickly ran through the middle to close the gap. To the surprise of few, Cuevas successfully converted the two-point conversion to bring the centennial game to 20-14. 

 

​A turning point in the game came at 2:05 of the fourth quarter when Knights tight end Yahzier Lennon missed a pass forcing Kennedy to punt, which landed in a favorable spot for the Ghosts.

 

It was now Cuevas Time. With 1:55 on the clock, Cuevas found pay turf with an 11-yard run to tie the game at 20-20, but Eastside failed to earn the two-point conversion. Could the game end in a draw yielding the eighth tie in 100 games? Not if Cuevas could help it.

 

On the first play of their drive, the Ghosts played the hot hand and looked to Cuevas. The Eastside senior, with 1:36 remaining in the game, calmly took a handoff and ran the pigskin 49-yards for a touchdown, and the eventual victory for the Ghosts. On the day, Cuevas had 17 carries for 152 yards. Cuevas' fourth touchdown was just shy of the Thanksgiving Day record held by fellow Ghost Wally McDaniels, who scored five touchdowns, 74 years ago, in 1948 when Eastside defeated Central High School by a score of 48- 0.

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"The second half was way different than the first half," said Justin Kimutai, an Eastside lineman. "In the first half, we were moving way too fast, which led to us making mistakes, which Kennedy capitalized on. At halftime, we calmed down, fixed our mistakes, made adjustments and came out with a whole new game plan and attitude. We came in, executed, and got the job done."  

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From Paterson's first Thanksgiving Day touchdown in 1925 by Morris Shiffman, to the last touchdown scored by Exavier Cuevas in the 100th game, the Silk City classic has seen Prohibition, the Great Depression, World War II, the terrorist attacks on September 11th, a pandemic, and so many other life changing moments; but through it all, a game - one game- between two high schools in Paterson, New Jersey, has stood the test of time. Here's to the next 100 games.

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100th Game Spotlight: Justin Kimutai

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In football, we often hear about the quarterback, running back, or the corner back on defense. Rarely do we hear about the unsung heroes; the lineman. The significance of the 100th game between two Paterson, New Jersey high schools was not lost on Eastside offensive/defensive lineman Justin Kimutai.

 

"When I think about being a part of something that means so much to the community, it makes me feel very grateful to have been able to play in the 100th game, and make my side of the community proud," said Kimutai, a senior at Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology. "I've heard stories about how my coaches played against one another for bragging rights, and the pride of Paterson."

 

Kimutai didn't have to look far to witness bragging rights and pride, as it occurred four years ago in his own family. As a charter school student in Paterson, Kimutai had the choice to be a student athlete at either Eastside or John F. Kennedy High School. Justin's father, Evans Kimutai, remembers the moment that his son chose his father's alma mater.

 

"I went to Eastside High School, while my brother Christopher attended Kennedy. Eastside and Kennedy always had a strong rivalry, and we were rivals too," said Evans Kimutai, who beams with pride every time he speaks about his son Justin. "One day, my son said to me: 'Dad, a coach from Kennedy wants me to go to practice with them and he wants to recruit me to play for them.'

 

This became an interesting predicament in the Kimutai household. Would young Justin pick his father's alma mater, or the rival school that his uncle attended? 

 

"I encourage my son to be wise in making his own decisions, so even though it hurt that he didn't initially want to play for my high school, I still supported his decision," said the proud father as he recalled Justin's early football career. "Then I week later he came and asked me for a ride, he said: 'Dad, can you please drop me off at the Eastside football field?'"

 

This might have been the best 'Can you give me a ride?' request in the history of parenting. 

 

"I lit up like a Christmas tree, eyes wide open, and all smiles. I said 'hell yeah,'" said Evans Kimutai as he reflected on Justin's decision to become a Ghost. "After Justin's first practice with Eastside, he came to the car and told me: 'Dad, all of those kids, they are my friends! I am playing for Eastside.' At this point I went ahead and called my brother Chris to break him the bad news."

 

This is just one of many stories of family bonding that occurred over the 100 games between two Paterson high schools. Imagine a student graduating from Eastside, and years later his son plays in the 100th game for Eastside? Evans Kimutai summed it up perfectly "this was better than a dream for me."

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